A Have
a conversation as natural as possible with a partner about the topic. Use the
pictures above and the questions below to help you.
- Do you suffer from any allergies?
- Have you ever been operated on? How long did it take you to recover from your operation?
- When was the last time you felt poorly? What were your symptoms? What did the doctor prescribe? Have you ever suffered from the side-effects of any medicine?
- When was the last time you went down with flu? How long did it take you to get over it?
- When was the last time you were feverish? What was the matter?
- Have you ever had a blood test? What for?
- Have you ever been X-rayed?
- Do you know anybody who has high or low blood pressure? What do you have to do if you have low blood pressure?
- Would you ever consider taking part in medical trials? Why?
- What are the positive effects of modern-day living? In what ways are we happier than previous generations?
- What impact is the widespread binge drinking culture having on the health of young people? Can you think of other major consequences of binge drinking? What about binge eating?
B MONOLOGUE
Student
A
- Being healthy means different things to different people. What do you mean by healthy?
- What medical problems have you and yours had and what do you think caused them?
- What do you think of the Spanish National Health Service (NHS)? And of the privatisation of some public hospitals?
Student
B
- Do you think alternative therapies provide a useful and effective alternative to mainstream medicine? Why?
- What do you think are the potential dangers of online medical advice? Would you consult a medical service on the Internet?
- Are we too obsessed with healthy eating and physical fitness nowadays?
Useful language
11. binge /bɪndʒ/ a short period of time when somebody does too much of a particular activity, especially eating or drinking alcohol. E.g. to go on a binge. One of the symptoms is binge eating. I had a shopping binge with my credit card. The survey results confirmed suspicions of a serious and widespread binge drinking culture within the University.
B MONOLOGUE
Student A 1. For me being healthy is: e.g. living to be very old. Being able to run for a bus without getting out of breath. Hardly ever needing to take any pills or medicines. Being the ideal weight for my height. Taking part in lots of games or sports. Never suffering from anything more than a mild cold or stomach upset. Feeling glad to be alive when I wake up in the morning. Being able to touch my toes or run a mile in 10 minutes (a kilometre in about 6 minutes). Having all the bits of my body in perfect working condition. Eating the right foods. Enjoying some form of relaxation or recreation. Never smoking. Hardly ever going to the doctor. Having a clear skin, bright eyes and shiny hair.
2. E.g. My son wore shoes that rubbed and he got blisters. My daughter ate too fast yesterday and had an upset stomach. My wife stayed out in the sun too long and as a consequence suffered from sunburn. The sun brought her out in (= caused) an itchy rash/ The heat brought her out in a rash. My nephew ate food he was allergic to and woke up covered in a rash/ He came out in a rash. If I eat chocolate, a rash appears on my skin. My granddad ran too fast for a bus and sprained his ankle. Fortunately, it is definitely on the mend now. Twist: to injure part of your body, especially your ankle, wrist or knee, bending it in an awkward way: e.g. She fell and twisted her ankle. My neighbours eat a lot of fast food. Therefore they are all obese…even their dog is obese! And since obesity can increase the risk of heart disease, their grandmother has had to be admitted to hospital with chest pains several times. (Opp: discharge: Patients were being discharged from the hospital too early.) A mosquito bit my youngest child last summer and he had a swollen eye for a whole week. My cousin got wet on a cold day and he went down with pneumonia. He was over the worst after a couple of weeks. I've been fighting off a cold all week. I seem to be getting over it now though. My sister thinks she is ill all the time. She is such a hypochondriac! —there’s nothing wrong with her. My little brother got lost in the snow for too long. When we found him he was shivering with cold. He felt a bit under the weather for a while. However, he was back on his feet again when the spring arrived.
MORE USEFUL LANGUAGE:
-
Tickle: a slightly
uncomfortable feeling in a part of your body: e.g. to have a tickle in your throat (= that makes you want to
cough).
- Caesarean: [sɪˈzeəriən] an emergency Caesarean. The baby was born by Caesarean section. She had to have a Caesarean.
- medical profile: Sp. cuadro clínico
- I have a sore throat
- Runny: (of your nose or eyes) producing a lot of liquid, for
example when you have a cold. E.g. I think I'm getting a cold—I've got a sore throat and a runny nose.
- Blocked: e.g. More than five million Britons visited their GP last year complaining of a blocked nose.
- Blocked: e.g. More than five million Britons visited their GP last year complaining of a blocked nose.
-
Hay fever: allergic to pollen
-
allergic (to sth) having
an allergy to sth: e.g. I like cats but unfortunately I’m allergic to them. A mild allergic reaction.
-
Antihistamine [ˌæntiˈhɪstəmiːn] a drug used to treat allergies, especially hay fever
-
Chickenpox: Sp. varicela
-
diagnose sb (as / with)
(sth) | diagnose sth (as sth) /ˈdaɪəɡnəʊz/ to say
exactly what an illness or the cause of a problem is: e.g. The test is used to diagnose a variety of diseases. The illness was diagnosed as cancer. He has recently been diagnosed with angina [ænˈdʒaɪnə]
angina pectoris [ˈpektərɪs]. He
was diagnosed (as) a diabetic when he was 64.
- Itch: to have an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that
makes you want to scratch; to make your skin feel like this. E.g. I itch all over. Does the
rash itch? This sweater really itches.
Itchy: (adjective) having or producing an itch on the skin: e.g. an itchy nose / rash. I feel itchy all over. (Get / have)
itchy feet (informal) to want to travel or move to a different
place; to want to do sth different.
-
Wrist: muñeca
-
homeopathy [ˌhəʊmiˈɒpəθi]
(BrE also homoeo-) noun[U] a system of treating
diseases or conditions using very small amounts of the substance that causes
the disease or condition. E.g. He practises a multi-therapy system using acupuncture [ˈækjuˌpʌŋktʃə] with homoeopathy and nutritional therapy to treat chronic diseases
-
homeopathic (BrE also
homoeo-) adjective: e.g. homeopathic medicines / remedies / treatments
- to lose the habit; to get out of the habit: Sp. desacostumbrar:
-
WHO: World Health Organization
-
well-being: (noun) general
health and happiness: e.g. emotional / physical / psychological
well-being. To have a sense of well-being. State of well-being.
- GP: (BrE) a Family doctor. a doctor who is trained in general medicine and who
works in the local community, not in a hospital. (abbreviation for ‘general
practitioner’): e.g. Go and see your GP as soon as possible. There are four GPs in our local practice.
- Myopia: [maɪ ˈəʊp iə]the inability to see things clearly when
they are far away SYN near-sightedness (US), short-sightedness (UK),
Myopic: a myopic
child / eye
- life expectancy (also expectation
of life) noun[U, C] the number of years that a person is likely to
live; the length of time that sth is likely to exist or continue for. E.g.
Life expectancy for both men and women has improved greatly in the past 20 years. Women have a longer life expectancy than men.
Life expectancy for both men and women has improved greatly in the past 20 years. Women have a longer life expectancy than men.
- swell swelled swollen: a swollen
hand. Swollen glands/ lips/ feet.
- food poisoning: an illness of the
stomach caused by eating food that contains harmful bacteria.
- gastro-enteritis [ˌɡæstrəʊˌentəˈraɪtɪs]noun[U] (medical) an illness of
the stomach and other food passages that causes diarrhoea [ˌdaɪəˈrɪə] and
vomiting.
- amoxicillin [əˌmɒksɪˈsɪlɪn]
- roster (noun) /ˈrɒstə(r)/ 1. a list of people’s names and the jobs that
they have to do at a particular time SYN rota: e.g. a duty roster. 2 a list of the
names of people who are available to do a job, play in a team, etc.
roster (verb) (BrE) to put sb’s name on a roster: e.g. The driver was rostered for Sunday.
- stretcher (noun) a long piece of
strong cloth with a pole on each side, used for carrying sb who is sick or
injured and who cannot walk: e.g. He was carried off on a stretcher.
- crutch: /krʌtʃ/ one of two long sticks that you put under your arms to help you walk after you have injured your leg or foot. E.g. After the accident I spent six months on crutches. He needs crutches to walk. He uses crutches. She can only walk with crutches.
- crutch: /krʌtʃ/ one of two long sticks that you put under your arms to help you walk after you have injured your leg or foot. E.g. After the accident I spent six months on crutches. He needs crutches to walk. He uses crutches. She can only walk with crutches.
- Plaster: a
white powder that is mixed with water and becomes very hard when it
dries, used especially for making copies of statues or holding broken
bones in place. e.g. he broke her leg a month ago and it's still in plaster.
- Cast (also plaster cast) e.g. Her leg's in a cast.
- Headache: a blinding headache. I have a splitting headache (= a very bad one).
- infection: an illness that is caused by bacteria or a virus and that affects one part of the body. E.g. an ear/ throat, etc. infection.
- infirm: /ɪnˈfɜːm/ ill/ sick and weak, especially over a long period or as a result of being old. E.g. to grow old and infirm.
- Condition: an illness or a medical problem that you have for a long time because it is not possible to cure it. E.g. a medical condition. He suffers from a serious heart condition. An acute condition is one where symptoms appear suddenly and worsen rapidly, while a chronic condition is one that develops gradually and worsens over an extended period of time.
Usage Note: Illness, disorder, infection, condition, ailment, bug: These are all words for a medical problem.
Common problems
Getting treatment
On the medicine bottle
Advice
Feeling great
- Headache: a blinding headache. I have a splitting headache (= a very bad one).
- infection: an illness that is caused by bacteria or a virus and that affects one part of the body. E.g. an ear/ throat, etc. infection.
- infirm: /ɪnˈfɜːm/ ill/ sick and weak, especially over a long period or as a result of being old. E.g. to grow old and infirm.
Examples: "my
poor ailing grandmother"; "feeling a bit indisposed today";
"you look a little peaky"; "feeling poorly"; "a
sickly child"; "is unwell and can't come to work".
- Condition: an illness or a medical problem that you have for a long time because it is not possible to cure it. E.g. a medical condition. He suffers from a serious heart condition. An acute condition is one where symptoms appear suddenly and worsen rapidly, while a chronic condition is one that develops gradually and worsens over an extended period of time.
Usage Note: Illness, disorder, infection, condition, ailment, bug: These are all words for a medical problem.
- Disease: a medical problem affecting humans, animals or plants, often caused by infection. E.g. He suffers from a rare blood disease.
- Illness: a medical problem, or a period of suffering from one. E.g. She died after a long illness.
- Disease or illness? Disease is used to talk about more severe physical medical problems, especially those that affect the organs. Illness is used to talk about both more severe and more minor medical problems, and those that affect mental health: E.g. heart/kidney/liver disease ◇ mental illness. Disease is not used about a period of illness: she died after a long illness.
- Disorder (rather formal) an illness that causes a part of the body to stop functioning correctly. Sp. Afección, problema. E.g. a rare disorder of the liver. A disorder is generally not infectious. Disorder is used most frequently with words relating to mental problems, for example psychiatric, personality, mental and eating. Sp. Trastorno. When it is used to talk about physical problems, it is most often used with blood, bowel and kidney, and these are commonly serious, severe or rare.
- Infection an illness that is caused by bacteria or a virus and that affects one part of the body: a throat infection.
- Condition a medical problem that you have for a long time because it is not possible to cure it. Sp. Afección, enfermedad. E.g. a heart condition.
- Ailment (rather formal) an illness that is not very serious. Sp. Enfermedad, dolencia, achaque. E.g. childhood ailments.
- Bug (informal) an infectious illness that is usually fairly mild. Sp. Microbio, virus. E.g. a nasty flu bug.
- To have/suffer from a(n) disease/illness/disorder/infection/condition/ailment/bug
- To catch/contract/get/pick up a(n) disease/illness/infection/bug
To get over something: To become better after being ill, recover from being sick.
E.g. When he gets over the flu, he'll go back to work.
To patch someone up: To give basic medical care to someone that helps them temporarily. E.g. When he cut himself on the broken glass, I patched him up before we took
him to the hospital.
To come round: To become conscious again after fainting or being unconscious.
E.g. He fainted but came round again after we opened a
window and got some fresh air into the room.
run in the family: to be a common feature in a particular family. E.g. Heart disease runs in the family.
run in the family: to be a common feature in a particular family. E.g. Heart disease runs in the family.
at death’s door: (often humorous) so ill/sick that you may die. E.g. I suppose you won’t be coming to the party if you’re at death’s door!
To say you are ill
I'm ill.
I feel really rough.
I'm shattered (meaning tired out or exhausted)
I'm on my last legs (to be very tired, especially after a lot of physical activity or work. It also means to be going to die soon - 'the old man is on his last leg').
I feel / look poorly / peaky / rough / bloody awful.
I feel / look like death warmed up (very ill or appearing very sickly - Poor thing! She looks like death warmed up)
Common problems
I have a headache/ toothache/ backache/ stomachache / earache...
I have a pain in my back / tooth / head...
I have a broken / sprained/twisted an ankle / wrist.
She's broken her arm. She'll be in plaster for weeks.
Her broken limb is in a hard plaster cast.
I feel sick. - I'm feeling nauseous.
I think I've got food poisoning.
I've eaten something bad and I feel unwell.
I have a flu / cold / runny nose / fever / high temperature /sore throat.
I feel sick
I'm feeling nauseous
I have a bruise / cut / graze / wound.
dizzy: feeling as if everything is spinning around you and that you are not able to balance. E.g. Climbing so high made me feel dizzy. I suffer from dizzy spells (= short periods when I am dizzy).
dizziness: the feeling that everything is spinning around you and that you are not able to balance. E.g. He complained of headaches and dizziness.
pass out: to become unconscious when not enough blood is going to your brain, usually because of the heat, a shock, etc. Faint. Lose consciousness E.g. Suddenly the woman in front of me fainted/passed out. I can't remember any more—I must have lost consciousness.
come round/ come to: to become conscious again. E.g. Your mother hasn't yet come round/to from the anaesthetic /ˌænəsˈθetɪk/.
She did not regain consciousness and died the next day.
dizzy: feeling as if everything is spinning around you and that you are not able to balance. E.g. Climbing so high made me feel dizzy. I suffer from dizzy spells (= short periods when I am dizzy).
dizziness: the feeling that everything is spinning around you and that you are not able to balance. E.g. He complained of headaches and dizziness.
pass out: to become unconscious when not enough blood is going to your brain, usually because of the heat, a shock, etc. Faint. Lose consciousness E.g. Suddenly the woman in front of me fainted/passed out. I can't remember any more—I must have lost consciousness.
come round/ come to: to become conscious again. E.g. Your mother hasn't yet come round/to from the anaesthetic /ˌænəsˈθetɪk/.
She did not regain consciousness and died the next day.
Getting treatment
Make an appointment at the doctor's / the GP. - Go and see the general practitioner.
I've been referred to a consultant at the hospital. - My doctor has arranged for me to see an expert at a hospital to help me recover.
I need a check-up at the hospital. / I need an X-Ray/ an examination / a scan
- These are treatments you might need at a hospital. I need to see the specialist - someone who knows about one health issue in particular.
On the medicine bottle
Consult your doctor if symptoms persist
- If you still feel ill after taking the medicine, see your doctor.
Do not take more than the stated dose. - Don't take more [pills or medicine] than you're told to.
Always read the label
Make sure you take the advice given on the medicine container.
Keep out of the reach of children- Do not let children play with the medicine or its container.
Advice
Exercise regularly.
Eat healthy food.
Brush your teeth regularly.
Go to bed early (= don't stay up late!)
Have regular medical check-ups.
Relax.
Go on a diet.
Feeling great
I feel great! / I'm on top of the world/ I feel like a million dollars! - I couldn't feel any better!
He's glowing with health. - He looks very well.
I'm a picture of health. - There's nothing at all wrong with me.
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